When Sovannarie was 3 months old, her parents noticed something unusual about their daughter: white opacities in both pupils. Without cataract surgery — and soon — doctors predicted irreversible vision loss. Even if that procedure went perfectly, Sovannarie would need glasses to rehabilitate her eyes and prevent blindness.
A decade and many operations later, Sovannarie needed new glasses again, her mother Ranny Un explains. She got them for free through the state — what on its surface seemed like a genuinely positive social program.
